Show Notes
Show Notes: Lindsay’s Links: www.fixguiding.com https://alpinist.com/newswire/womens-expedition-explores-new-routes-in-indias-zanskar-range/ https://amga.com/meet-amga-lindsay-fixmer/ Episode Intro: Dear listeners of the Female Guides Requested Podcast, happy Wednesday. This is your host, Ting Ting, from Las Vegas. Today our guest is Lindsay Fixmer from Bozeman, Montana.
Lindsay Fixmer is an experienced alpine, ice, and rock climbing guide who has been guiding since 2006. She is on the American Mountain Guides Association (AMGA) Instructor Team, develops and teaches outdoor programming at Montana State University, and also instructs at indoor facilities. Lindsay spends her winters ice guiding in Montana and Wyoming, spring and fall at various rock venues in the western U.S., and splits her summers between Bozeman and the eastern Sierra. As an AMGA Certified Alpine and Rock Guide, Lindsay brings her passion for climbing to her work, inspiring her clients to excel, build confidence, hone skills, and meet their goals.
We dive deep into the interconnectedness among all different forms of climbing and how learning one can inspire the learning of others, and vice versa. I explored in depth Lindsay’s mission statement, how she emphasizes educating and inspiring people through patience and partnership. We talked about the balance of work and play, mentorship, and more. I learned so much from Lindsay, and listening to her describe ice climbing made me want to pick up ice tools again. Things We Talked about: Climbing career started early Indoor versus outdoor climbing Potential side gig Lindsay’s mission statement A life-changing experience – 12 year old backpacked through Canyonlands All women’s trip to India and first ascents in Northern Himalayas Guiding and doing first ascents with Chicks Climbing and Skiing “Ice is my life” – Lindsay’s ice climbing journey The interconnectedness of rock climbing and ice climbing and all climbing Work/play balance Mentorship and Tom Hargus’s inspiring quote “the day I stop learning is the day I stop guiding.” Performance anxiety? Quotes: If you enjoy watching people succeed and become more knowledgeable and more skilled, then it [guiding] is very rewarding work. I’ve been teaching ice climbing for a long time, but you’re always learning something new and the way that people respond to the words that you’re using and also the descriptors and the movement, you continually learn how people differently see things and respond. …even rock to ice. We say that they’re very different, but I don’t think that’s true because you’re either in or out of balance in life. So Our ergonomics don’t change. It’s just the medium. It is very much a partnership. you have to feel confident that your guide is with you and they can relate to you and understand and help you. Patience is a massive component of helping people succeed and opening that door to being more vulnerable and being okay with that. …when you really realize how small you are and how large the Earth and the universe is. And it was pretty amazing. Oftentimes you had to make adjustments based on the conditions and how to get off of something that you had climbed. It wasn’t always just V-thread really straightforward. There were some more interesting ways of getting off of things. Ice is always changing. It’s never the same. The routes always change, which is pretty cool. If you’ve shut yourself off to learning or just don’t want to do it anymore more. You’re on to something else in your life.
More from Female Guides Requested
Episode Intro: Welcome to another episode of the Female Guides Requested Podcast. This is Ting Ting, you host from Las Vegas. In this episode, we sit down with Krystina Maixner, an AMGA-certified rock guide, talented painter, and the owner of Chalkfox Studio.Based in Bishop, California, Krystina shares her inspiring journey from living out of her car in San Francisco to discovering her inner power and independence through climbing and guiding. We dive into her experiences working for NOLS, her decision to transition into a balanced lifestyle of graphic design and guiding, and her passion for educating and empowering other women in the outdoors. Tune in to hear how Krystina combines her creative artistry with herlove for the mountains to build a fulfilling, dual-career life!
Welcome back to theFemale Guides Requested Podcast. I’m your host, Ting Ting, from Las Vegas. Today, I am absolutely thrilled to welcome Nikki Smith to the show. Nikki is a true powerhouse who wears many hats in the outdoor industry—she is a sponsored climber, an athlete, a remarkable photographer, and a guide. Nikki has been guiding since 1999, but in this episode, we dive deep into how she found her true niche around 2018 by shifting her focus to affinity spaces. We discuss herincredible work co-creating the successful LGBTQ+ Single Pitch Instructor (SPI) course and how she integrates outdoor activities with a group therapy style to better support specific communities. Nikki also generously shares her personal experiences navigating the outdoor industry as a trans person, the financial realities of this often low-paying profession, andher inspiring work with the Open Aperture photography program, which provides scholarships and mentorship for underrepresented storytellers. We even talk about her current journey to get her Master's degree in clinical mental health counseling to merge trauma-informed practices with outdoor instruction. I enjoyed tremendously chatting with Nikki during our interview, and when I was editing this episode I thought "wow I could listen to the conversation over and over." Warm, honest, professional Nikki provided many thought-provokinginsights naturally brought me to reflect on my guiding and life. Without further ado, please enjoy my conversation with Nikki Smith.
Episode Intro: Hello listeners, and welcome back to the Female Guides Requested Podcast. This is your host, Ting Ting, coming to you from Las Vegas. I apologize that it took me a little while to publish this episode; I broke my tib/fib in a climbing accident six weeks ago. However, when I relistened to my interview with today’s guest, Patty Lankhorst—a woman who has faced multiple setbacks and always bounced back stronger through sheer grit—I gained the courage and faith to do the same.
Welcome to another empowering episode of the Female Guides Requested Podcast! This is your host Ting Ting from Las Vegas. Today we sit down with the incredibly inspiring Carol Simpson, a trailblazing climber and guide who is proving that age and societal expectations are meant to be challenged. Raised in the 1950s South where athleticism in women was heavily discouraged, Carol didn’t embrace her inner athlete until her late 20s. But once she did, there was no looking back.
Show Notes: Resources for Candidates and Providers: Scenario overview video Scoring rubric + guidance Updated SPI Program Handbook New textbook release (May 5): Rock Climbing: The Official AMGA Single Pitch Manual Related Links: AMGA Single Pitch Instructor Page EP 20 – Everything SPI 01 – Professionalism and Risk Management EP 29 – Everything SPI 02 – Site Selection & Group Management EP 34 – Everything SPI 03 – Current SPI Eval System EP 38 – Everything SPI 04 – Teaching & Curriculum Design I Andrew Megas-Russell Instagram https://www.instagram.com/megas_sends/